Darkness
by Dagron
Summary: ONE SHOT and 3 OFF SHOTS Due to an unfortunate turn of events, Conan has had to go into hiding... But as in all games of Hide and Seek, they've come to find him! Now edited for better viewing pleasure. Huh?
1. Darkness

**- Darkness -  
**

Disclaimer: The characters and basic plot are that of Detective Conan, a manga series created by Gosho Aoyama. I have no claims whatsoever on his rights, and, at most, can only hope for some reviews.

**- **For Case Closed Fans Either you've done some research and already know the original names of the main cast, or you'll simply have to scroll down to the bottom for any names you encounter that seem alien. Thank You!

**- **_And of course, Seasons Greetings to everyone ;c)  
_**  
**  
**- Darkness -  
**

A gentle breeze is playing with the curtain.  
Noise and heat rise from the busy summer street to reach the window.  
It is open, but, barred by the thick dark curtains, they can only enter muted, diminished, just like the light.  
In the half obscurity of the room, the only activity is that of a fan, vainly trying to push back the muted waves of heat. A form can be seen on the sofa.

As one adjusts to the darkness, one can start to distinguish the form's features.  
It is a child, a small child. No more than seven or eight, assuredly. The boy, as he must be, with his short, sometimes spiky hair and his dark shorts, is curled up with his knees under his chin.  
His gaze is directed at the wall he is facing, but there is nothing to see there.

This boy's name is Conan Edogawa. He used to be called Shinichi Kudo. Some people still call him that, but he knows the name is no longer his to wear.  
Somewhere, deep down, he knows that Shinichi Kudo is dead.

Shinichi Kudo, that oh-so-brilliant teenage detective. Shinichi Kudo, who's meddling had caused him to be poisoned by some members of a criminal organisation.

But the poison had not worked... It had caused him to shrink, to take on the form of a child.

But that hadn't stopped Shinichi Kudo, oh no! Led by desperation, he had hidden behind a pair of glasses, and used the detective Mouri to solve cases, in the hope that he would find those men in black and their faulty poison.

He found them alright.

Not a day passed without him remembering that day.

Driven by his thirst for truth and his dreams, he'd gone up to confront them, full of confidence.  
And now he wished he never had.

His dreams were shattered, his hope and confidence gone. Shinichi Kudo would never be coming back.

He'd had to revise his whole situation overnight. He couldn't stay at the Mouris any longer, if not for his sake, at least for Ran's.

His departure had been sudden, but necessary. He could not face what would have happened if he had stayed.

"Forgive me Ran" the boy whispers, as if in prayer.

He rubs his eyes. They shouldn't be wet; he has come to terms with the disappearance of his former life.

At least he hopes.

All that is left now is the fear, the fear that they might find him...   
He dreams of it every night, waking up from his nightmares to stare, in a cold sweat, at the darkness.

He has broken all links with the others, save professor Agasa. The monthly call to the professor is necessary, to prevent both Ran and the Kudos, his parents, from tearing down the country in search of him.

They would not believe that he is dead, or, if they did, it would break their hearts.

"Let them hope," the professor had said. "Let them hope."

'I alone have lost all hope.' He thinks sadly.  
Inside, he hopes Ran can find some other to wipe her tears away. He can not let himself dream of doing so himself.

He unbends his now stiff legs, lets the blood run anew.  
He cannot go outside. Who knows when and where they might be? He can not take the risk.  
Now his days are spent toying with a ball inside, reading some mystery novel or writing down his thoughts. He can not allow himself to watch TV, or listen to the radio, in fear that he might be lured into solving some mystery. He considers the odd DVD or music CD a weekly treat, ordered and delivered at his door.

There is a knocking at the door. His heart starts to pound, filling with dread.

'Calm down!' He thinks. 'It's probably just some prank or a delivery.'

He hears the door squeak open. – That would be Haibara. –

He had wanted to go into hiding alone, but the auburn haired girl had guessed so. The former scientist of the organisation, now turned traitor and shrunk, like him, had insisted on staying with him. He had resented it at the time. Now he is grateful. Had it not been for her presence, he would have long gone insane.

The patter of small feet comes towards the room he is in.

"Kudo..." The girl whispers.

The Boy looks towards her, feeling the unreasonable pang of guilt he sometimes has.  
If it hadn't been for his stubbornness, he could have let her discover what was hope and happiness.  
If it hadn't been for that fatal day, she wouldn't be here, in this den of gloom and dread.  
Whatever their crimes no one deserves to live such a nightmare, with no hope of waking up.

Her hand shakes. Noticing this, he tightens his fists. His throat goes dry.

'Oh no!' He thinks.

"They found us..." She says, and coming from the door, is the sound of adult feet.

**-**

**-Darkness- -gap-**

-

Ayumi Yohida puts her hands to her face, restraining a sob.  
Her eyes are already filling with tears.

"This can't be..." whispers Mitsuhiko beside her. Genta is simply staring in disbelief.

Someone has pulled the curtains back, letting in the light; yet the shadows still lurk in the corners.  
Even in full light the room speaks of darkness.

"This can't be...!" repeats Mitsuhiko, louder.

Conan turns to look at the freckled youth's face. He doesn't say a word.   
Instead, he lets his eyes express what his lips cannot phrase: the sorrow, the pain.

"Conan, Ai... Is it really you?" Ayumi looks from one child to the other.

Slowly the girl nods at her.

"How...?" Genta swallows. "How come you're..."

Haibara and Conan share a pained look.

"It's a long story..." says the boy. "How did you find us?"

Wiping away some tears, Ayumi gives a chuckle, but her heart isn't in it.

"Hey!" She answers. "We're the Detective Boys, remember?"

"You taught us what there was to know after all." Adds Mitsuhiko. "A little bit of logic, some research, a big dollop of determination..."

"Here..." says Genta, reaching out to drop some objects on a small table. "We thought... We thought you'd want to have these back."

Haibara and Conan peer down at the small objects. The metallic faces of their detective badges beam back at them, the remnants of a time when hope had meaning.

"Did the professor not warn you?" whispers Haibara, looking away.

"He did..."

"But we didn't listen..."

Conan looks up at the three teenagers.  
'Boy, have they grown.' He thinks.

Genta now has broad shoulders, a heaviness that no longer speaks of chubbiness but of strength.  
Mitsuhiko has grown even taller; his skinny limbs have gained muscle, although his freckles remain.  
And Ayumi is no longer that cute little girl, whoes round and trusting eyes could make a rock waver. She radiates of beauty starting to blossom, and no doubt she is greatly admired by her classmates.

A lot of things change in ten years.

"Do you really want to know the truth?" the small boy says. "Do you want to know why it is, we have not grown an inch, whereas you are now becoming adults?"

The three teens look at each other, exchange thoughts through their eyes, before coming to a decision.

Sitting deliberately on the coach, Ayumi gives their answer.

"We do."

"We probably won't like it..." says Mitsuhiko, sitting on a stool.

"But we still want to hear it." adds Genta, now cross-legged on the floor.

Taking a deep breath, Conan begins.

"You remember that case, ten years ago? The one that hit the headlines? About a black criminal organisation?"

The elder children, who no longer were, wade quickly through the plains of their memories.

"Yes," they say. "The case solved by Shinichi Kudo. Thanks to his hints, the police were able to dismantle a large group of organized crime..."

"Shinichi Kudo. That was me."

And he starts to tell them their story, the tragedy of his life.

Not once do they interrupt, not once do they scoff. They are already stunned by his appearance, and, although ten years have been and gone, they still recognise his wisdom, the truth in his voice.

Haibara joins in, explaining some fact or other, giving added value to the story Conan is telling them, the story that is as much his as hers.

Conan is now talking about the events of that so dreadful day...  
The day where he learnt that there was no cure, but a curse.  
There are tears, threatening to fall, in his eyes.  
Haibara has now lowered her head, her bangs hiding her own unshed tears.

She had been as shaken as him to discover the truth.

The Apotoxin had shrunk them for good. There was no cure. The best she could do would always be and only be that 24 hour pill she had developed, and that would only work a set amount of times, before their bodies became immune to it's effects.

They would probably live on till they were eighty, trapped in their eight year-old bodies, till death came to claim their souls. Even now she does not want to believe it. Every two, three nights, she goes through the data all over again.

And every time the same answer stares her in the face, however hard she tries to ignore the passing time, however large the amount of knowledge she builds from the net or specialist reviews, however elaborate her own changing theories.

Now it only serves to hurt her... but she does not want to give up. Not like Conan has.

"Why?"

This was the question Conan had been dreading.

Why had he fled? Why had he gone away?  
He knows the answer. It comes out on its own.

"I wanted to forget, to leave my past behind."

He lifts his eyes to his three past companions. And they look at him, and see a child who isn't and has hardly ever been. They look at him and see their friend in pain.

His voice trembles as he says...

"I try to forget... but I can't."

And now, silently, the tears start falling one by one down his cheeks.   
One for his hopelessness, one for his despair, one for his loneliness and one for his past.

One tear for Shinichi Kudo.

He is not the only one to cry for the dead teenage detective.

So does Haibara. So does Ayumi. In fact, so do Genta and Mitsuhiko.

After a dozen minutes or so, the tears start to thin, their shoulders are allowed to sag.

Wiping away tears that still want to fall, Ayumi stands up.

"Come, Conan, Ai... I think it's time you came Home."

'Yes,' thinks Conan. 'I have been hiding long enough.'

And so, the patter of five pairs of feet leaves the room of gloom.

The door is shut behind them as they go out into the sun.

The fan is left alone, to fight off the waves of summer heat, as the curtains sway and the rays of the sun bounce off the faces of the two forgotten detective badges.

-**End-**

**  
Names in Original/Dub:**

Conan Edogawa is Edogawa Conan (or was it the other way around?)  
Shinichi Kudo is Jimmy Kudo  
Ran Mouri is Rachel Moore  
Ai Haibara has Not appeared yet (ep 129) (Rumor has it her dub name world be Anita Hailey.)  
Ayumi Yoshida is Amy Yaeger  
Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya is Mitch DoesHeHaveASurname?  
Genta Kojima is George (Like my Dad)  
Apotoxin 4869 is the name of the shrinking poison.

**Author note**:  
Angsty One Shot that hit me in the dead of night and demanded to be written straight away before even conceeding to the idea of letting me sleep. (And why do I have a feeling I love that kind of plot idea ? )


	2. Obscurity

Darkness Off shots.

_Because the original fiction did not intend to have a sequel! Thank you Luna-kitsune-blu! (smile)  
First of three. (Name changes not at the bottom of first part will be under the part they first appear in.)_

- Off shot one**: Obscurity**. -

There is a coolness inside the house. A negative coolness, that speaks of the heat outside.  
The shutters are pulled down, protecting the cool air inside. Try as they might, the harsh rays of the sun are unable to reach in and turn the cool house into just another oven.

The still, cool air surrounds me as I lean back, my eyes closed, on the settee.  
My thoughts blank, I strain my ears. I listen. I listen for the sounds from the house.

I frown.

Outside, I can hear the hum of insects.  
From outside, I can hear the odd note of birdsong. I can even hear the cries of the neighbourhood children as they play, and the odd grumble of cars from the more busy districts of town.

Where, in this panorama of quiet sound, is my house?

Ah! Now I hear it.

-Drip-

A conspicuous little sound.

The fall of a drop of water into a bigger body of water.  
The cry for mercy of that little drop, as it is pulled away from it's " hanging-from-the-tap " individuality into anonymity.  
After a few minutes, it is followed by another.

That is the only sound my house makes.

-Drip- Silence -Drip-

Slowly I open my weary eyes.  
I am not going to fix that leak.

Listening to the strangely comforting drips, I scan the room with my eyes.

Grey, everything looks grey.

The sun must have started to go down while I had my eyes closed. The already subdued light dwindling, I find myself in an unsettling half-obscurity.

Why? I ask myself. Why does my home feel so empty!

I know the answer why.  
I've been trying to forget it on a monthly basis...  
Yet each time I think that I'm rid of the notion, I sit down and notice it all over again.

... She's not here...

Stupid, stupid... Of course she's not here!   
You didn't try to stop her when she left. It was her decision.   
You optimistically thought she would come back, but why should she? What reason has she to come back?

I sigh. Of course, it would have come to this situation whichever way I look at it.

Yet still... It feels wrong.

'It has been a while since I felt this strongly about it...' I think to myself. 'It's the children. They are the ones who reminded me...'

The ones who reminded me how lively this house used to be...

Yes, it was mostly me who put life into it, but she had, during her stay, added a particular flavour to that livelihood, defined it more with her taste for order and her, well, mostly honest and very straight-forward remarks.

I shake my head. No good to dawdle on the past.

As if to help me out of my reverie, the door bell rings.

'Odd...' I think. I remember I locked the door for once. I usually leave it unlocked when I'm in...  
'Boy did that use to annoy her...' And I shouldn't be thinking that... Especially with her going to call tonight.

Muttering under my breath about stupid phone calls and empty homes, I stand up, reach out for the lamp switch, and groan when the overly bright light hits my eyes.

"I'm coming!" I call out to the door, as I jerkily make my way to it, rubbing my eyelids.

I must have been rubbing too hard, because when I opened the door, I can swear I thought I saw her there.

-

-**Obscurity gap.**

-  
**  
**I must have gone quiet and stared at them in a strange fashion.  
The taller girl shifts uneasily on her feet.

" Can we come in, professor? " She asks, tentatively.

Shaking my head once again, I step back.  
" Sure! Come on in... " I say apologetically, letting them come through.

As we go towards the lounge area, I unsuccessfully try to sort out my thoughts. This is most unexpected... How in the world...?

" Would you like a cold drink? " I offer, hoping to be able to rally my senses while in the kitchen.

" No thank you. " Says the first girl. Her companion simply shakes her head.

" Oh... Okay. " Defeated, I sit down on the settee opposite them, laughing nervously.

'It's Her. Did something happen...?' I wonder.

I notice that the first girl is shifting uncomfortably. The situation was definitely awkward. Of course, -She- doesn't seem affected, although I do notice Her looking around in Her pensive manner.

" Ayumi... " I begin. The girl stops me.

" Would you mind taking her back in? " She asks me guiltily, sneaking a look at Her.  
She didn't even look up... Was She being shy?

" Of course not... " I answer straight away, without thinking.   
Curses. Why don't I ever think before I talk? Of course I didn't mind... But would She?

Totally oblivious, Ayumi stands up. " So it's okay then? Do you want me to go tell Fusae? It's just on my way... "

I stutter, try to stand up, sigh as my brain works out what she just said, and thank her. She smiles her sweet smile at me, and waves me back to my seat when I try to see her out to the door.

" See you tomorrow perhaps? " She winks at Her, before departing.

A disquieting silence falls upon us as we hear her shut the door. The dripping of the tap makes itself conspicuously known.

" Fusae? " She finally asks, lifting an eyebrow.

Embarrassed, I try to mumble inaudibly the explanation. I knew she would have had to find out some day...

" Sorry? "

I give in. " She's now my wife. "

'I can see you smirk!'  
I blush... visibly. She raises both eyebrows now.

" Why didn't you tell us? "

'That...' I think '...should be obvious.'

" I didn't want to make Shinichi feel worse... " I answer truthfully.

" Oh... " I see Her smile fade and Her eyes grow dark.  
Pain. There is no other word for the emotion I see written on Her face.  
Unwillingly, I recall the state she was in... When she had discovered the truth.

Shinichi had been unnaturally withdrawn and quiet at the news... She...

She had been unnaturally and openly distressed. I had never seen her so baffled, so out of control.  
For one who usually concealed her feelings behind a dull or sarcastic mask, it was surprising to see her display so many different and alarming emotions at the same time.

Disbelief had been the most present.  
Refusal, fear, anger, betrayal, regret and disorientation had mixed into her features.  
It seemed she had forgotten the relief she had felt at seeing the organisation go down...  
She had tried to hide it behind scepticism at the time, but I had seen her shoulders relax, her smile broaden...  
Seeing her obviously break down that day had really unnerved me...  
I nearly thought that the organisation had survived and struck us back. Never did I imagine what had really occurred.  
She hadn't thought of it either. That was one of the reasons it hit her so hard.

Shinichi had taken the news badly too.  
At first he didn't understand, he asked for proof...  
She gave him proof. She gave him the proof that rattled her so.  
He stared at it... And then clammed up. Tight.  
That night Ran had called me to ask how come Conan was so... quiet. I didn't know what to say...

And the following morning, Conan was gone...  
And so was She.

Had it not been for the note she left on her bed, I would surely have panicked. In fact, I did panic...  
I just didn't have the courage to go to the police. Or anyone else for that matter... It was only when she called shortly afterwards that I calmed down.  
She politely listened to my fretting and relief, before explaining their situation more clearly. Upon hearing that they didn't want to be found, I immediately made sure they were to call me at least once a month. I couldn't argue with their wish, but I didn't like thinking that they might go and do something stupid.

And now, seeing her once again don her mask that hides emotion, I am somewhat reassured.  
Yes, She is still suffering, but her pain is no longer sharper than her self-control. She now accepts their situation...

" And how is He? " I ask, wondering about her fellow in despair.

" He's beginning to accept it... I think. " She answers. " Somehow... It seems that being found will do us both some good. " She smiles ironically.

" Sorry about that... " I apologise. I know they had counted on me to prevent such a situation. " They were so determined to find you... Even Hattori couldn't dissuade them. When they understood we weren't going to help them, they just went off to search by themselves... I never thought that they would... "

She interrupts me.  
" Hattori knows? "

" You try and fool a genius detective some time! " I say that with feeling. Hattori had given me quite a run for my secrets.

She chuckles. Of course, she knows what it's like. I sigh.

" Your bed is made, if you want it. I think I've still got some of your pyjamas somewhere... " I lie. I know very well that all the clothes she left are still there. I had made a point of it to Fusae.

" Thanks professor, but at the moment, I'm more interested in something to eat... "  
I hesitate. Something to eat? Sure, there should be some leftovers in the fridge. They can't be that difficult to reheat, yet...

" What, you haven't eaten yet! " It was already past ten pm.

She shrugs.  
" Ayumi and I... Had a lot of catching up to do... "

She could say that again. I get up and head towards the kitchen.

" Professor Agasa? " She stops me.

I turn. She has her hand up, she seems to be hesitating. I smile.  
" It's nice to have you back Ai-kun. "

Haibara Ai relaxes and smiles sweetly back.  
" Thank you... It is nice to be back. "

- **Obscurity End **-

_Yes. Shamelessly Ai-centric._

_- Professor Agasa is Doctor Agasa who is Agasa-Hakase.  
Don't ask me why I use Professor over Doctor, I don't know.  
- Fusae is a reference to the case of Agasa's first love. Book 40 if you really want to know.  
- As for my use of -kun ... I think I might use -kun -chan and so on at particular moments in some of the next few off shots to come. It's not to flaunt my meek knowledge of Japanese suffixes, it's just that I actually believe they hint at something more... Used in the right context. Usually endearment._


	3. Dark night

Darkness Off shots.

_Because the original fiction did not intend to have a sequel! Thank you Luna-kitsune-blu! (smile)  
Second of three. (Name changes not at the bottom of first part will be under the part they first appear in.)_

- Off shot two: **Dark night. -**

Another hot summer's day is over. Comes the usual hot stuffy night that follows.

There is no moon tonight. The stars, though no longer out shone by the silver orb, are not easily seen.  
The air is not clean and sharp, like those winter nights where the stars would sting your eyes like diamonds.   
The air is heavy, slow. It settles itself as a burden on your shoulders, it is a presence felt.  
The summer air has no interest in showing you stars.  
It basks in the light of the city lamp posts, content in saying "I am here, and you shall sweat."

It is late now. The streets are empty.  
The last people to have come out for a bit of 'fresh' night air have all returned to their acclimatised rooms...

Except for one...

He, for at such an hour it is certainly not a woman, walks alone.  
His forehead is beaded with sweat. His hair is sticking out at odd angles and his shirt is quite sodden.  
On his shoulders the hot air lies a happy burden. He does not seem to mind. He has other things to worry about...

But, wait a minute?  
It is a small boy! Should he not already be in bed !

He smiles sarcastically, looking up at the gate he is facing.  
The name plate, conveniently placed in the light of a street lamp, reads 'Kudo'...  
Some things never seem to change.

Without hesitation, he confidently climbs the metal gate so as to reach the handle.  
He pulls it down, and keeps it there as he swings his weight.  
Feeling the gate slide forwards, he pockets the key he had, just in case, in his hand, before jumping to the ground.  
He steps into the property, pushes the gate back into it's closed position and goes for the door.  
This time it is locked. No bother. He uses his key and slips in quietly.

Inside, it is dark.  
The street light doesn't enter through the heavy curtains or closed shutters.  
It feels nearly as if the dark night that should have been outside had come in to take refuge from the artificial brightness of the lamps and the mugginess of the heat.  
He is used to the dark. He does not fear it, never has.  
He takes confident, and cautious steps into it's depths.  
When he reaches the bottom steps of the staircase, he flicks on his wristwatch-torch more out of habit than of need. It's circle of light forms a solitary moon in a very dark night indeed.

Once upstairs, the small boy sighs as he opens the door to a bedroom.  
His bedroom, to be precise, or, more accurately, Shinichi Kudo's room.  
He stands still in the doorframe, recollecting the times when he really could think of this as his room, and use it as such.  
He recalls the time when he made the cupboard fall. He had barely turned five then, and his parent's had had quite a yell at him for that.  
There was also the slumber party he'd had with all his mates for his eighth birthday. Ran had been there too. They had spent the night pillow-fighting and story-telling, and had not got the slightest wink of sleep. Now that he thinks about it, perhaps that was why Ran was so scared of ghost stories... He had made quite a convincing tale of the " falling of the cupboard ".

There are so many other memories he has of this one room. Normal memories, fitting to any boy's room...

But now the room is empty, abandoned. It's owner has left, and it has stood empty ever since.  
The shelves must be full of dust, and the air gone stale.  
He's not even sure if he made the bed properly the last time he came here...

He scans the room with his miniature lamp torch... And draws a sharp breath.  
What the... !  
Oh, of course... Why hadn't he thought of it.

The room certainly doesn't look 'dead'.  
By all means, it looks expectant. Not a speck of dust to be seen, the sheets on the bed are immaculately clean and ironed. The air, instead of being stale and muggy with heat as he expected, is wonderfully fresh and cool.

" Parents... " he mutters, as he walks in. The door closes with a smack as he approaches his bed.

Oh well... At least that was the cleaning out of the way.  
Turning his small light off, he dresses down and crawls in between the sheets.   
Today has been a long and eventful day... And extremely challenging.  
He needs time to think about all that happened.

After they had been " found ", the 'Detective Boys' had accompanied them on the long trek back to Beika.  
At first, they hadn't said much at all. And then, as the shock wore off, they had started " catching up " with the others, asking about so and so, and who had won the last world cup.  
The girls, seeing that the conversation had turned to 'oh so male' issues, excused themselves for some 'girl chat', saying they'd get in touch tomorrow.

Conan didn't mind... In fact, he was enjoying himself more than he thought possible.  
He had forgotten how good talking about soccer felt, and the other two boys seemed to have forgotten the difference in size.  
When they got out at Beika station, Mitsuhiko and Genta impulsively offered to go and kick a ball around the old patch. He surprised himself by accepting, and gave the two boys quite a hard time with the ball. It took them a while to realize he had his power shoes... And even when they did, they still wanted to play.

It was only when the sun went down that they realized how late it was... and how hungry they were.  
Despite the heat, Mitsuhiko went to buy them all some sandwiches and cool drinks, which they consumed on a Park bench.   
Conan's mood had darkened visibly, as he thought about where he was to go. The other two, noticing this, shifted uncomfortably, until Conan came to a decision. They argued a bit, but in the end relented, before going home. Conan smiled sadly as he watched them go... So many things to catch up with...

He spent the following hours just walking around, finding his bearings, seeing what had and hadn't changed.  
But now he needs to think about what will change... And Ran? Should he really go and see her tomorrow? What should he tell her?  
His mind begs to ponder on these questions, but his body won't have it. Within a few minutes of his head touching the pillow, he is already sound asleep.

-

As his breathing slows to it's slumber pace, a muffled patter of feet is heard.  
It is coming down the corridor and, presently, the door to Kudo Shinichi's room slides slowly open.  
The person at the door stares with wide disbelieving eyes at the form in the former teenager's bed.  
They hesitate, for in such darkness it is so hard to be sure. How many times already have they believed...?  
Yet they don't step forward or tear their eyes away from the sleeper, their jumbled thoughts are merging in their brain.  
After a long, long moment, the person at the door jerks out from their paralysed stance.  
Not really knowing what to think, was it a dream? A nightmare? Could this be true, they silently close the door.  
It is not long before the feet shuffle back to where they came from, and silence returns.  
If it is the truth, it will still be there in the morning...  
No need to wake the other before then.

-

**_- _Dark Night gap.**

**_-_**

The twitter of birds, the rumble of some van... and something wrong with the darkness under his eyelids.  
It isn't dark enough... It is morning.

Slowly the boy named Edogawa opens his eyes.  
He stares at the ceiling. The room that was so dark the night before is now slowly filling with light...  
Obviously, his bedroom curtains were no match for the rising summer sun. Another hot day has began.

The boy groans when he looks at the digital clock. Imagine that still stating the correct time after 10 years of disuse.  
It proudly states four thirty AM.

Oddly enough, although his sleep was dramatically short, he has slept better than he has for years.  
This puzzles him... And it puzzles him so that he can not go back to sleep.  
Of course, there are also the other issues that he needs to think about... Eyebrows furrowed, he slides out of bed, and rummages in his drawers for something clean, and really old, to wear.  
It is not long before he slips into the garden, a child's ball under his arm and with a determined air.

-

Eight o'clock, a tall and handsome young man is found standing in the kitchen.  
Yawning imperiously, he scratches his jaw.  
You would need to look closely, for his tan-coloured skin hides it quite well, but there are bristles on his chin. Feeling this, he mumbles something about having to shave after some breakfast.  
He quickly finds himself a bowl, a packet of cereal and some fresh milk in the fridge.  
Scratch the 'traditional' breakfast today, he feels like he is starving. He helps himself to a satisfactory amount of deliciousness before sitting down to 'eat' at the kitchen table.

He has gobbled down a third of his bowl's contents by the time the lady of the house walks into the kitchen...

" G'morning'! " he says.

" Oh... " Her face a bit pale, she turns an abnormally dishevelled head towards him. " Good morning Heiji. "

" Hmm? " Something is wrong, he thinks.

Yukiko Kudo, who he always knew to be a cheerful and well groomed actress, looks as if she has just learnt the worst news in the world...  
This was not normal behaviour... Even for someone who's just climbed out of bed and has yet to put her make-up on...

" Is something wrong? " The twenty-eight year old man stands up, disregarding his morning meal for what definitely looked like a mystery.

" No, no... Nothing at all. " And as if to forestall any more attempts at conversation, she settles herself to frying up some breakfast for her and her husband.  
She even tries, although one must admit it isn't with much success, to hum as she usually does.

Seeing that she obviously does not want him to pry any further, he sits down once again to finish his cereal... But not without keeping a weary eye on her.  
Did this have anything to do with Kudo perhaps?  
No. Impossible.  
Even though Kudo had stupidly decided to cut his parents out of his life, that had been ten years ago already... There was no way he could be at the root of this sudden change in behaviour, could he?

Perhaps it has something to do with Yusaku's latest novel. It has had quite a bout of sour criticism.  
Heiji can't fathom why. The book was extremely well written and the plot had swallowed him up whole when he had read it...

" Morning, Hattori... " The Night Baron's creator in person now enters the kitchen. Heiji can't help but notice, as the bespectacled man sits down opposite him, the grey tinge his hair has taken.

'Stupid Kudo,' he thinks. 'Look at what you've done to your old folks.'

Yusaku doesn't even seem to be paying much attention to his wife's strange behaviour either. He frowns in a pensive manner as he starts to read the morning paper.

'How come they're so weird this morning? This isn't funny...'  
And as Heiji ponders the married couple's odd behaviour, a fourth person enters the room...

" Hattori! "

Startled by the interpellation, Heiji turns around to see who called out his name with such surprise.  
It is a small scruffy boy, staring up at him with large eyes.  
One of the neighbourhood kids perhaps? What was he doing at the Kudos? And...   
Wait a minute, that face is familiar...

" What are you doing here? " The boy asks.

Now it's Heiji's turn to open his eyes wide.  
" Kudo! Hey! That's my a line! What are you doing here? I thought you'd decided to seclude yourself in some remote place because not only there isn't an cure for your condition, but you're stuck as a midget! "

Conan winces.

Heiji blanches as he feels two very angry glares at the back of his neck.  
-Oh dear... You've really done it this time wonder boy...-

And while Yusaku is giving Heiji the 'should be patented' " YOU KNEW! " look, Yukiko has come around to wrap her arms tightly around her miniature son.

" Shin-chan... Why didn't you tell us? " Her eyes are gleaming with tears, her voice trembles with real emotion. Conan looks up at her with a pained look.

" Nice to see you too, mom... " He hugs her back, fighting back the humidity in his eyes.  
Remembering how old he really was, she draws back, sitting on her knees, and wipes at her already falling tears.

" Shinichi... " whispers his father.

Conan shrugs... Obviously, even his parents had trouble taking it in the hard way...  
" What Hattori said is true... " He mutters.

Heiji would have expected him to be glaring at him, but he isn't.

" As for what I am doing here... "

Okay, now he's glaring at him.

" It has more to do with some clever teenagers that Hattori obviously underestimated. "

Was that a smug look on his face? Wait a minute... The Detective Boy threesome? No way!

" Oooooh Crud... "

All three Kudos turn to look at the Osakan detective. The dark-skinned man was positively looking pale.

" What is it, Hattori? " asks Yusaku.

Heiji looks down towards Conan.  
" Kudo-... "

" Could you please stop calling me that. "

" Kudo, " repeats Hattori. He notices this time how Conan winces each time they say his real name.  
" Have you seen Ran yet? "

At this, both Yusaku and Yukiko blanche. They know where this was going...

" No. " answers the boy, climbing onto a kitchen chair. He frowns at his parents' sullen expressions.  
" I was thinking of going to see her today, why? "

Perhaps he is worried... Perhaps he should worry... But no, Conan is merely annoyed at the three " adults' " mysteriousness.

Heiji is just glad Kazuha isn't there. This would have been so much harder to explain with his wife around.

" Kudo... "  
The boy winces.  
" The reason I am here, is because Ran is... "

Okay, now Conan is fearing the worst.  
He listens, hears the words, but does not comprehend.

" Come again? " he says, a hopeful smile on his face, hoping he heard wrong.

He didn't. He had heard it true and clear.

" Oh no... "

Something in his heart strains painfully. A feeling he thought he could no longer feel.

No, Shinichi Kudo hadn't died ten years ago. He had wilted, yes, but he was still there in his heart, an insane hope, a half-forgotten dream...  
Shinichi Kudo doesn't merely die when refused his dreams, plunged into semi-darkness.  
No, he dies there and now.  
He has been refused his last hope.  
He dies in the dark night as he sees his last star fade out.

" Ran... "**_  
_**  
- **Dark Night End **-

_Remember, there is another off-shot after this one!_

_Name Changes:  
-**Yusaku **and **Yukiko Kudo **are respectively **Booker**(!What kind of name is that?) and **Vivian**(or was it Lilian) Kudo, famous crime novelist and (now retired) actress.  
- " **Shin-chan **" is Yukiko's endearment nickname for her lovely son.  
- **Heiji Hattori**! The great detective from Osaka is known in the US dub as **Harley Hartwell**. His 'potential' girlfriend **Kazuha Toyama** (who, in this fic, he has married) has yet to appear in Case Closed, but rumour has it her dub name world be Katie Thompson._

_For the Confused:  
**- **Heiji did not help the Detective Boys to find Conan and Ai, and he was pretty surprised to find out they did. He knows what happened to them (Conan and Ai), and respects their choice to live in hiding. He just made sure to keep his mouth shut, and annoy the Professor so he could know if anything happened to the two. As for his knowledge of the Kudos, I guess he's been visiting them pretty often, since Kudo/Conan was gone. As a footnote, he was staying at their place for what's coming next, with Kazuha. Kazuha just happened to (conveniently) be at a sleep over with girl friends that night.  
**- **The night time visitor was meant to be Yukiko. I'm afraid my caracterisation of her and her husband might be off for this off-shot. She went to check on Shinichi's room because she heard his door slam. She didn't get Yusaku straight away because a) He needed his sleep. and b) She was afraid she was dreaming again. She mentioned the incident to her husband when they got up, which 'explains' the two's abnormal behaviour that morning._


	4. Shadow

Darkness Off shots.

_Because the original fiction did not intend to have a sequel! Thank you Luna-kitsune-blu! (smile)  
Last of three. (Name changes not at the bottom of first part will be under the part they first appear in.)_

Off Shot Three: **Shadow.**

The golden rays of the late afternoon sun pour down over the group of people assembled in the spacious grounds.   
Despite the recent bouts of hot weather, most of them are in formal evening wear, white, black and grey suits for the men, a wonderful variety of elegant and shimmering dresses for the women.   
Of course, there are also those with a more traditional taste in formal wear. Some wonderfully embroidered kimonos catch my eye, as I walk trough the crowd of our guests.

I am very grateful for the cool breeze that prevents today from being a long hot nightmare.   
And yet, although not a cloud has graced the sky, I cannot say that the day has been without shadows...

His shadow is haunting me, for one.

My eyes glaze over as I look in his direction.  
A shadow of a man... A shadow of the man he used to be.  
He is broken, I can see it.  
I can see it in the way he bows his head, the darkness in his eyes, the way he simply shadows away at the edge of the crowd.  
Had I not been told the truth, I would think he was a ghost.

...And, just as if he were a ghost, I no longer see him...

I sigh as yet another one of my relatives comes to congratulate me, blocking him from my view.  
I smile. Yes, it is a day for congratulations after all, is it not?  
I cheerfully, at least I hope, answer their questions and laugh at their jokes, before moving along to the next guest to ask what were their thoughts about today's ceremony.  
The threads of merry conversations reach my ears from hither and thou. Every one seems to have enjoyed the ceremony, and hardly a face I put my eyes upon isn't smiling.

Somehow I find myself wishing that this is his case too...  
Of course, I know deep down that it is unlikely.

" Ran, dear... "

I lift my smiling face towards the man who is now my husband. I notice his concerned frown.

" What is it? " he says. Pointing at his forehead he adds: " I know you're worried about something. You've got that crease there again. "

" Huh? I have? " I say, startled not only by the fact he was pointing out, but also by his choice of words.  
I had heard such a phrase before. Without realising it, I squint and raise my hands to my face.

" Ha ha ha, well if you didn't have one before, you definitely have one now. "  
He laughs. I like his laugh. It's so merry and bright.

" Meany. " I reply, giving him a playful punch.

" Sorry dear, but I know you are worrying about something, even if you weren't frowning like you are now. "

I sigh. I just had to fall for someone with a great sense of observation.

" Sorry, " I answer him. " It's just... " My eyes wander off to were I saw him last...

" Ah. Conan. I see. " And he does. Sort of.

He... My Husband... He knows my story.  
He knows of the tragedy of my first love.

Ten years is a long time to wait for someone, especially when that someone no longer calls.  
One loses hope, one loses faith... One yearns to find Someone to just Listen!

And that someone had been the man who is now my husband.  
And as these things go, with time and frequent meetings, we had learned to love each other.

It was most unfortunate for Him that he returned just before our wedding...  
Somehow, I guess, this ill timing is all my fault.  
I had simply expressed my wish to the three remaining Detective Boys of seeing them whole once again for the event. A silly, silly wish...

I hadn't known the truth then.  
I simply believed what I had been told: that Conan had gone back home to his parents, and that he was happy, and that Shinichi was being his own stupid detective self and had got involved in some even harder case that made it impossible for him to get in touch with any one save Professor Agasa.  
I still remember talking with his parents about how selfish he was.

...Thinking about his Parents...

" Ah Ran! " Yukiko and her husband are coming our way.  
I smile seeing their happy faces.  
For them too, their son's situation has come as a shock ... But their joy at having him -BACK- where they can -Check Up- on him seemed to have returned some of their dwindling spirits.  
Yusaku is even looking quite smug, a sight that used to be quite common, until a few years back.

We exchange wishes of good will and a bit of gossip, before my other half steers me over to his aunt Fumiko.  
I stifle a laugh, as I glimpse the Detective Boy threesome behind the old dear.  
My, my. Are they not looking ill at ease?  
Well, it is understandable. After all...

And the grim reality of his dark fate sobers me once again.

...After all, those three teenagers had never seen their friends in their adult forms.  
It must be most unnerving not only to find out that your childhood friends' growth has been stumped, but also to be faced with them showing their real, and much older, age.  
In other words, Genta, Ayumi and Mitsuhiko are nervously avoiding a Shinichi Kudo, 27, and... What was her real name, well a Ai Haibara aged 28.  
I have to admit, I find it rather disturbing too.

And to say that Heiji had known all along. When Kazuha found out, she really gave him a piece of her mind, or so I am told.  
He knew...  
He knew that my mystery man had been shrunk.  
He knew why my first love had stopped calling me.  
He knew that Conan was Shinichi, and he also knew that Conan had lost all hope of ever returning to adulthood.  
When I knew of this, I felt quite an urge to demonstrate to the Osakan detective just how good at karate I still am... But something stopped me.

A thought. A random thought.  
'If he knew all this, why did he not go and fetch Shinichi from his hiding place? Why did he not expose the truth?'

And then I remember. I remember the face Shinichi... no, Conan had given me, upon seeing me again.  
I recall the tone of his voice, the glint of sorrow in his eye, the honest and no-nonsense approach he had taken to deliver the truth to both me and my fiancé...

The whole Truth.

He didn't need to tell me he was Shinichi, he didn't have to.  
He could have pretended to have only and always been Conan Edogawa, a small boy who had not grown.  
But no, he had to tell me...

Heiji had understood this too.

Shinichi's greatest pain is that he still loves me.

...That Idiot...

I still want to be his friend though. No way will I let him go back to being alone.

-

**- Shadow gap.**

-

He stands in the shade of a tree, to the side of the outdoor reception.   
His fringe of hair sways in the gentle breeze as he looks on with sad eyes.  
Shinichi Kudo sips a cool drink, as his mind invariably dwells on the past...

'Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come, after all...' He thinks. 'Or to come as...Shinichi.'

He notices the strange looks some of the guests give him.  
Others just look at him curiously, as if trying to figure out to which of the two he was related to.

Whenever someone tries to strike up a conversation with him, he politely declines, giving only the shortest answers. Noticing this, Hattori, who had decided to hang around with him for most of the ceremony, got a bit mad.  
After a somewhat heated exchange, the Osakan man had decided to go off and find his wife for a change.  
Shinichi can't blame Hattori, but he just can't help it.   
All this is just... Too much.

He had thought coming as Shinichi was a good idea, at the time.  
After all, he had been one of Ran's closest childhood friends, and she so wished for him to come, even just as Conan.  
He thought it would be a suitable way to say goodbye...

He had known that it would be difficult, he knew that the ceremony would be painful for him. He had expected being back in his original body would be tiring both physically and mentally...

But he hadn't thought of the pain it would be to be recognized by others.  
Megure, Takagi, Sato (or was it Mrs. Takagi now?), Shiratori...  
And then Sonoko, with a rather curious Makoto at her arm...  
Even some of his old fans and classmates!  
All of them had talked to him as if he still was that Detective-geek he was when... when...

'Enough of this!' He thinks, shaking his head.  
He has tears at the corners of his eyes.  
He's just been through a rather stressful moment in the person of the 'no-longer' sleeping Kogoro.  
He had totally forgotten about that little ordeal until then...

He leans back against the tree trunk and closes his eyes.  
Perhaps he can leave just now. He sat through the exchange of the vows, and the newly weds know where to find him...

Yes, he shall just slip away, unnoticed, and go and lie down in some dark room, or bounce a ball waiting for the effects of Haibara's 24 hour antidote to wear off... For the final time.

No. He can't just go. He promised himself he would see this through.

Just half an hour... Only one more half hour and it would be over.  
After this, he can simply return to being the 'not growing' Conan, and lock his feelings away.   
He doesn't want Ran to be disappointed by his sudden departure.  
This is supposed to be her happy day.

" Are you feeling alright, Kudo? "

He jumps upon hearing the female voice addressing him.  
It comes from barely a foot away from his left ear. He hadn't heard anyone approach that close.

" Is it an after-effect of the pill? You might want to go and sit down, have something to eat..."

He stares at the woman talking to him for a moment, before his brain kicks in once more.  
" Oh. No, no, Haibara. I was just... Elsewhere. "

" Oh. " Says the auburn haired woman.

Her eyes that had shown concern turn away.  
If Shinichi looked, he would read guilt and sadness there.

" I see. " She turns to look at the reception, staying by his side.

She was feeling slightly out of sorts...  
Mainly because hardly anyone here knew her, and she was most baffled at what name to give them when they asked...  
Especially when they had known her as little Haibara.  
She isn't very comfortable with the fact that she is attending the wedding reception either.

She hadn't wanted to come, even when Ran, learning of her reappearance, had sent her an invite. Haibara did not want to feel more guilt, see more of the pain caused by the results of her product, and her failure to reverse them.

But she is there.  
She is at the reception, and she is in her adult form.  
She isn't there for Ran. She really isn't there for some selfish reason either.  
Nor because the professor asked her, or because the Detective Boys begged her.  
She is there because Kudo asked her...

Kudo asked her.

" Haibara, can I ask you a question? " Shinichi says.

" Fire away. " She replies, without looking at him.  
He never called her anything else as far as she remembers.

" Why did you follow me? "

" Follow? " She frowns expressively at him, obviously wanting more information. " Where to? "

He sighs, looking slightly embarrassed.

" Follow me into hiding.  
Why did you stay with me in that dark flat for these last ten years?  
Surely you could have continued your research at the professor's? " He stares fixedly at his drink.

Ten years before, she would have answered him sarcastically.  
Before that fatal day, she would have delayed her answer with another question.  
Before they had become shadows, she would never have told him her reasons...

But time does change people, and so does tragedy.  
She has dropped some of her masks, discarded a few walls, hardened some of the others...  
But in ten years of living... well, what for lack of a better word... living together, she had become more attuned to Conan's moods, to Conan's pain.  
She had seen him change.

Sighing, she answers him truthfully.  
" I don't really know.  
The professor seemed to be worried you might do something stupid, and as for me...   
Well, I don't think I knew what I was doing myself.  
I just knew you would want to get away, and I didn't think I could let you get away that easily.  
You are not on your own in this. "

She turns to face him, looking ever so slightly ill at ease.   
" Satisfied? "

Blushing, Shinichi nods. Haibara is right.  
She too is in an awkward situation. He can be such an idiot at times.

" Thanks. " He whispers.

A long silence, like many they had had in the dark flat they shared, stretches between them.

Both wander around in their own thoughts, staring vaguely at the wedding crowd, and barely noticing the odd passing miko in red and white.  
Suddenly, Shinichi notices his companion whispering something.

" ... It is solitude delivered from the anguish of loneliness... "

Without realizing he heard her, she turns to face him once again.  
He only then notices the dress she is wearing. A green frock his mother had lent her, which complimented the colour of her eyes and hair.  
It is very disturbing to look at someone you have been living with for ten years and all of a sudden not see her as just a girl.  
Mentally shaking himself, he wonders why she whispered that phrase, before listening to her question...

" Kudo. Can I ask you a favour? "

" Go ahead. " He says, mildly wondering what it could be.

" I would like to go back to my real name. I don't want to... be called Haibara anymore. "

Now this surprises him. He puts his glass down on the grass with a frown.

" Why on earth do you want to do that? " He asks.

" I want to leave my fear behind me.  
Sherry was the name I had at the Organisation.   
Haibara Ai was a name I took to hide behind in fear.  
It's not like the name Edogawa Conan, that you took on to bring them down. I want to go back to my real name, the name that has probably yet to live... "  
Her tone is determined, and something close to exasperation can be distinguished in her stance.

Shinichi ponders this response.  
" A new beginning, sort of? "

It made sense, in an odd fashion.  
They no longer are hiding. And there is the sentimental link with her sister's name.

" Is it okay with you? " She asks, not really expressing any interest in his opinion.

" Certainly, Miyano. " He answers with a rye smile.  
It seems he isn't the only one facing changes.

" As for me, I'd rather not be called 'Kudo' any more. "

She smiles back.

And then he notices the couple approaching them.  
He mutters under his breath, shifts uneasily, before forcing a smile on his face.

It's Ran and that other guy.

-

**- Shadow Gap 2.**

**-  
**  
" Hi you two. " Ran says, bowing at them with a smile.  
Her husband is doing the same.

" I hope you are enjoying the reception. " He says.

Shiho just bows her head uncomfortably, with a non-committing smile.

" We are. " Lies Shinichi, returning the saluting gesture.  
It isn't because of the reception he is feeling depressed, after all.  
" And I'm glad to say you make a nice couple. "

His smile is plastered onto his face, very much like when he had been living at Ran's as Conan, and promising her that Shinichi would certainly return soon.  
The only positive thing he can think of now about that ordeal, is that it taught him how to lie convincingly and act cheerful.  
He is probably going to have to do both a lot in the years to come, considering his situation.

The groom stares him in the eye for a while.  
He returns the stare.

Shiho and Ran, trying to ignore the boys' glares, decide to talk about some of the dresses they saw. Dresses are a safe, impersonal topic, that they gladly both enjoy, more or less.

When he feels he has glared enough, Shinichi closes his eyes and grins before bending down to pick up his drink.  
Glaring is useless. Both men know their place.  
The groom knows Shinichi can no longer claim Ran's heart, and Shinichi knows that Ran had chosen someone who will make her happy.   
Glaring is just the way they chose to show their approval of one another.  
They both courted Ran. They acknowledge that this means the other has good taste.

The groom smiles sadly, before extending his hand to Shinichi.

" Take care, Conan. "

Shinichi shakes his hand.

" I guess it is time for us to go and catch our plane... " sighs Ran.  
She looks at Shinichi... For one last time as an adult.

" Have a nice trip, Ran-Neechan. " He says.

She can't help but notice the taste of sadness in his words, but decides to play along.

" You know where to find us once we come back.  
Don't hesitate to come and visit, Conan-kun. "

She has to resist the urge to hug him as she would have down ten years ago, in his small boy form.  
People would question her if she let her emotions take over.

" Bye. "

And with that, the newly weds go off towards their car.  
A group of relatives have clustered there to wave them off.

Shinichi lets out a sad sigh.

" You've really given up on her, haven't you? " his companion says.

He turns to look at Shiho.  
" I don't really have the choice. I'm just glad she's... happy. " He replies.

The auburn haired woman nods, understanding.  
She can't help feeling guilty, but she is glad he isn't clamming up.

" By the way... " She adds. " The professor and I have talked, quite a bit this last week... "

" Hmm? " Shinichi waits for her to elaborate.

" It really does seem impossible to make a definite antidote to return us to our original state. "

Shinichi lets out a small sarcastic laugh.

" But, " she continues.

Shinichi's attention perks up.

" I... We believe it just might be possible to work on the 'not growing' side of our problem...   
It's not certain, but I think we'll be exploring that possibility.  
It's useless continuing to look for The perfect Antidote when it's no longer much use for us. "

She shifts uncomfortably under Shinichi's scrutiny.

" I just thought you would like to know of the possibility, Ku-... Edogawa. "

No, she doesn't like the way Kudo's eyes are glistening as he stares at her.  
Why isn't he saying anything? He...

He takes her in his arms into a tight embrace.  
There are tears in his eyes as he whispers in her ear...

" You don't know how glad I am to hear you say that, Haibara. "  
There are drops of joy, trickling onto his cheeks.

" Hey! Kudo! " She blushes noticing the odd looks some are giving them, but she can't help but smile, realising what this meant.

Edogawa has found hope again.  
He is no longer just a shadow.  
He has something to look forward to, something to live for...

_ 'Friendship needs no words-  
It is solitude delivered from the anguish of loneliness.'_

Delivered from the anguish of loneliness...  
Know where had she read that already?

**- Shadow End.**

_The quote is from. Norvegian Nobel Prize winnoc prime minister Dag Hammarskjold (1905-1961) (Which I found in a little (gift) book for a friend- Exley. A good source for small sweet quotes. )  
  
Name Changes:  
**Megure** is Maigret in French, but Maguire in Case Closed. **Takagi, Sato and Shiratori **are all his little minions, erm sorry, police officers that Conan meets on a regular basis.  
**Sonoko and Makoto **are Serena Sebastian and her only steady boyfriend so far. He appears around book 22.  
**Sherry** was Haibara's code name in the Organisation. Her real birth name is **Shiho Miyano. **She has yet to appear in the dub._

_  
Author's End Note:  
Imagine who you wish as Ran's husband, I ain't giving him a name.  
As for the future... This IS the last Off-shot. I am not going to do MORE. (unless I am very heavily bribed...) So you can either imagine (or write for yourself):  
A) Haibara doesn't find a cure to make them grow, and you can add dollops of angst there from.  
B) She does! And Conan and Shiho just stay friends.  
C) She does it! And you end up with a growing Conan-Shiho -happy- pairing. There, now may my harshest critic (aka Sister) stop bothering me with that. You've got your pairing! XcD  
What ever happens, Conan and Ran don't get together. :c( You have to have some tragedy.  
Of course, there's always solution  
D) where you stopped reading at the end of the fist chapter-One shot._

_Also, special thanks to all those who reviewed, in particular Luna-Kitsune-Blu, (and perhaps Astarael for getting me to change the format?) as well as my sibling, who needs to get back to reading DC fics some time._


End file.
